Community Health Centers Struggling As Fewer People Seek Care During Pandemic
Community health centers had been at the front lines of health care in the nation's poorest neighborhoods even before the spread of the coronavirus. But in the midst of the pandemic, patients who fear deportation or infection are forcing many centers to close.
Public health officials worry that the populations that these centers serve â mostly people with low incomes and immigrants â aren't getting proper health care and testing, may be unable to quarantine themselves and could contribute to spreading the coronavirus to the wider population.
"People are worried about COVID-19," says Joslyn Pettway, acting CEO of Covenant Community Care in Detroit, a nonprofit health center. "If patients don't come in for a visit, we lose money."
Covenant serves more than 20,000 patients each year through five locations with a staff
